That Butler, A Noble
by xXBloody.ApocalypseXx
Summary: When the butler we know to be devilishly talented turns into a noble.
1. Character Info

**Author's Note:** After concentrating on the Kind Edward filler episode in Kuro 1, I came up with the idea: what if Sebby-kun was a noble? And...therefore _this_ appeared.

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><p><strong>Character Info:<strong>

Name:Analise Julianne Monalisa Montrose  
>Pronunciation: annaleess Juli-anne mont-rose<br>Age: 20  
>Height: 5'7"<br>Noble Identity: Second daughter of the Earl of Oxford  
>Species: Human<br>Birthday: 31st May

Name:Lucyana Janelle Monica Montrose  
>Pronunciation: luciana juhn-elle mont-rose<br>Age: 21  
>Height: 5'5"<br>Noble Identity: Eldest daughter of the Earl of Oxford  
>Species: Human<br>Birthday: 21st June

Name:Liana Jacquelyn Melissa Montrose  
>Pronunciation: leea-na Juh-kel-in mont-rose<br>Age: 08  
>Height: 4'11"<br>Noble Identity: Youngest daughter of the Earl of Oxford  
>Species: Human<br>Birthday: 09th August

Name:Lauria Janessa Maria Montrose  
>Pronunciation: lo-riah Juh-nessa mont-rose<br>Age: 17  
>Height: 5'2"<br>Noble Identity: Third daughter of the Earl of Oxford  
>Species: Human<br>Birthday: 13th March

Name:Linden Jeremiah Larrington Montrose  
>Pronunciation: lin-den juh-re-miah mont-rose<br>Age: 27  
>Height: 6'0"<br>Noble Identity: Eldest Son to the Earl of Oxford  
>Species: Human<br>Birthday: 5th December

Name:Lydia Jacqueline Marcia Montrose  
>Pronunciation: li-dia juh-kel-in mar-shuh mont-rose<br>Age: 41  
>Height: 5'10"<br>Noble Identity: Wife to the Earl of Oxford  
>Species: Human<br>Birthday: 25th October

Name:Larrington Jacobson Marvin Montrose  
>Pronunciation: larring-ton jacubson mont-rose<br>Age: 50  
>Height: 5'11"<br>Noble Identity: The Earl of Oxford  
>Species: Human<br>Birthday: 14th February

(Now for the crazy part!)

Name: Sebastian Michaelis  
>Age: 25 (by looks)<br>Height: 6'4"  
>Noble Identity: The Duke of Wales<br>Species: Demon  
>Birthday: ?<p>

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><p>AN: A friend asked me to give the pronunciation of a few of the names since she was confused on how to pronounce them. The next chapter is also up.


	2. Prologue

**Author's Note: **I would advise you to read the character intro instead of ignoring it...if you've read it, then please continue.

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><p><strong>Prologue: Introducing…my family<strong>

I sat on the window-bed of my room, gazing out at the lonely tress and forlorn forest outside before the mountains, thinking about everything I'd ever gone through. Family matters. I've never been much of a rebel, so I accept whatever life throws in my way. I'd been going over the news mother had just brought on for me, and Lucyana.

Let me tell you a bit about my family and family members.

The Montrose family has long been of the noble status, with my ancestors all having been Earls of Oxford, or having a rank similar to that of an Earl in foreign countries. Thus my family has always held its head high among all others. It also caused the major pride-mania in my parents…that of being absolutely perfect and noble-like.

My father is Larrington Jacobson Marvin Montrose. He's a tall man with a smartly-trimmed goatee and long brown hair tied up behind his head in a bow. His eyes are a bright green, the colour I'd always envied his eyes for. He is the current, that is, 5th Earl of Oxford. My father has always been extremely strict on being refined. He insists that he views us all equally. But we all seriously doubt that. He only has eyes for his only son, since he is eventually going to take over his place as Earl. He even shows a minimal amount of affection towards mother.

My mother is Lydia Jacqueline Marcia Montrose. She's also a tall person, and as a woman, that is pretty unusual. She's nearly as tall as my father. She has ebony black hair which she always pulls up into a tight and tidy bun. Her hair is very long, but she never lets it down. I envy her for it…I love black hair. Her thick-framed glasses and polo-necked dresses make her look like a strict etiquette instructor. She's the reason we sisters never had an etiquette instructor in the first place. Her dazzling brown eyes never fail to narrow at our mistakes. She, according to me, is everything a dutiful wife is supposed to be. She has always watched out for us, no matter what. She loves most of her children (_most_, mind you, not all). She especially has eyes for her eldest daughter.

My eldest and only brother is Linden Jeremiah Larrington Montrose. He has long, ebony-black hair, like our mother. He always keeps his hair loose. It falls down his back, and the long, sleek bangs fall to either sides of his chiselled face. He has the green eyes I envy my father for. He's the most gorgeous man I've ever seen; and the nicest as well. He's the tallest member of our family, and also the member who probably loves and cares for me the most. He's a dutiful son; listening to his father on how to run the business, maintain the status of Earl in the society, and everything else that father has to teach him. He's father's favourite of his children by far. He always wears typical black outfits…he happens to love that colour. His strong, yet gentle manners and caring attitude makes him quite the lady-killer, I must say!

My eldest sister, Lucyana Janelle Monica Montrose, is termed by my mother to be the most beautiful member of the family. She has straight brown hair and hazel eyes, which go magnificently with her fair skin-tone. She's a bit shorter than me. But she's the most refined amongst us all. She knows just how to be a noble, and therefore she's got all the praise from mother. All she wants is to be a well-mannered daughter, get praises from others on how refined a young woman she is, a wonderful husband in the future, and to have a big manor and large estate to herself. Overall, Lucyana is ambitious. I can't complain; she deserves it for all the hard work she puts into it. She is everything I'll never be.

Lauria Janessa Maria Montrose is another story in herself. In our family, it is a tradition: being tall. This does not seem to agree with Lauria; she's short for her age. She has also inherited the black hair, but like all us sisters, has brown eyes. Lauria used to like me quite a lot when we were all still young, but ever since she turned eleven, she developed a sort of hatred for me. She loves Lucyana, but has a seven-year long vendetta against me. She is a nice girl, but notLinden's favourite sister, I must add. It seems like she annoys him a lot with all her 'whining and grousing'…inLinden's exact words. She is, however, liked by mother, because she knows her way around the etiquette lessons.

My youngest sister is Liana Jacquelyn Melissa Montrose. She's the life of the household. She has bright brown eyes and straight brown hair, and smiles a lot. I think she's like the sunshine of our family. Without her, we'd only be in for etiquette, manners, rules, establishing pride, and so on. Because of her, we engage in family activities like occasional picnics, and sibling-winter-snowball fights (minus Lauria and Lucyana). Otherwise, we are all so lifeless and boring…one would consider us to be ghosts. She loves me, and often comes up into my bedroom whenever she gets scared of the dark, or feels lonely. Reminds me of how I used to go over toLindenwhen I was her age.

And me…I am the second daughter of the Earl ofOxford…Analise Julianne Monalisa Montrose. I have brown eyes, and slightly curly and bushy brown hair. I'm the tallest among my sisters, and also the worst when it comes to etiquette lessons. I'm pretty good at maths and stuff, all academics, but mother says that a girl is praised more for her manners than her academic accomplishments. My father terms it simply: a girl should be seen and not heard. That means I am not to go on talking about how much of math and geography I know. So I'm way behind Lucyana and Lauria on the good-books of my parents. I've always messed things up from the beginning. Luckily, Linden has always been there for me, to catch me when I fall, and I can never express my gratefulness to him in words, ever. You'll get to know about me simply by how I view life.

It's simply because I've become an outcast of the family to my parents. It's all because I'm a wallflower who can't socialize no matter how hard you coax them into it. Lucyana, Lauria and Liana are like social butterflies. At every party, people talk about them, speaking about how wonderful and mannerly the daughters of the Earl of Oxford are. One would possibly mention the Earl having three daughters: Lucyana, Lauria and Liana Montrose. If anyone present knew the truth, they would probably say that the earl had four daughters, but they could rarely name the second daughter.

I'd never been considered a part of the family by my parents. I knew that the main reason for this was the very same reason I mentioned. It almost seemed like a disgrace to my mother that I was unable to socialize, and talk to people.

Lucyana agrees with her to some point; she may not hate me, but she doesn't exactly support my activities either. I don't mess up on purpose! It's just how I am! Everyone can't be perfect, can they?

Well, anyways, my mother announced to us two eldest daughters that we had to get engaged soon. We panicked at the very idea, and when we looked at each other, exchanging looks of sheer surprise and horror at the suddenness of it all, that our mother sneered at us. She told us that she'd be holding a ball for us, so that we could set our eyes upon the most eligible bachelors ofEngland, and take our pick. The idea didn't calm me much. Then, Lucyana had been whisked away by mother somewhere or the other.

Speaking of Lucyana, she said she'd talk to me about this. It was already five p.m., and the sun would set pretty soon. Where was she?

A few minutes passed before: "Lisa!"

"Lucy?" I turned around towards my door to see Lucyana rushing (quickly strutting, actually…Lucyana doesn't run since it's not ladylike) inside.

"You won't believe what's going to happen!" Lucyana walked forwards and sat down beside me. She seemed out of breathe, so I let her pant in peace and handed her a glass of water before she could continue. I've never seen Lucyana so happy and excited. Ever.

"My birthday's after three days, right?"

"Yes." I said.

"That's when the ball's being held!"

"Wow…"

Lucyana glanced at me as if I was crazy.

"Look, this ball, uhhh...masquerade actually, that's being hosted…it's going to have the most handsome bachelors from all around the place! How wonderful is that?"

"Uhh…enlighten me?" I smiled uncertainly as Lucyana face-palmed.

"Guess what, I got this guest list, about all those people who've agreed to show up…wait." Lucyana rummaged in her pocket for the list.

She brought out a piece of paper and opened up the scroll so that both of us could conveniently peek into it.

"A few men are very notable, you know?" Lucyana said. I looked down the list…it was pretty long.

"Well, you are pretty well-known all around as well, you know that? So all these people will probably know you at the first sight." I told her. Lucyana smiled at me. "I mean, you're so social…everyone knows you really well."

Right then, Lauria burst into my room. "Lucy!"

"What?" We both exclaimed together. Lauria ignored me completely as she walked to Lucyana.

"You know who just got added to that list?" she asked.

"WHO?" Lucyana looked extremely anxious.

"None other than the…Duke of Wales!" Lauria gazed off into the distance dramatically, and pretended to swoon.

Lucyana's eyes widened considerably.

"Wait…how'd you know?" I asked Lauria.

"Mother was talking to him on the phone. She mentioned '…greatly honoured by your acceptance, honoured Duke o fWales…', so I decided to come and tell you!" Lauria told Lucyana.

"...you were eavesdropping? How very unladylike...anyways I'll let that drop since you got gossip. So…you mean to say the Duke of Wales is still single?" Lucyana bustled altogether.

"Uh-huh!" Lauria said.

"Why, is that unusual?" I asked, confused as to why they were so obsessed over this duke.

"Oh right, you haven't seen him, have you, un-socialist?" Lauria sneered.

"Laurie! Don't say things like that!" Lucyana cut in. "Why don't you go and send Liana over to mother; her graciousness was looking for her."

Lauria grudgingly trudged out of the room.

"So, what's so special about this duke?" I brought up again.

"The fact that he's as handsome and charming and rich as he is, but not yet married or anything. Though he does look a bit too young, almost our age…"Lucyana pondered.

"You've talked to him?" I asked.

"No…I didn't have the nerve…I was too afraid to mess up in front of him…"

"YOU were afraid?" I was speechless.

"He's got these gorgeous eyes that feel like they're penetrating you!" Lucyana exclaimed in her defence, and I giggled.

"You're going to try and get him, aren't you?" I teased.

Lucyana blushed brightly, but toughened up instantly. "Of course I am. Wait till you see him, little sister. He's sure to make all other men look like crows before a particularly magnificent dove!"

"If not him, then no one, right, sister?" I nudged her.

"Right you are, little sister." Lucyana said, with an air of authority.

"I don't know about the Duke…but I'll say this. I just hope we both end up with the men who're absolutely perfect for us." Lucyana added as an afterthought.

I nodded to Lucyana's usual mature dialogue, and hugged her back.

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><p><strong>AN**: I tried to make them like typical Victorian era girls...suggest improvements, please! And review!

**Important Author's Note: **

**I'm gonna pull back and relax after this!**

**Nah, I don't have time to relax. But there's a high chance it'll take time for me to update any of my stories due to my workload.**

**I promise to update multiple chapters for each and every story once I return.**

So whatcha think? You guys got a hell lotta time to review, so the more reviews I get, the harder I'll work on updating sooner!

Rosalind: REVIEWS = LOVE!

Sebastian: And it also helps my mistress work faster.

Rosalind: Yeah, of course it does!

Sebastian: So, kind readers, instead of simply following and/or favouriting, please leave atleast a few words for my mistress to feel motivated!

Rosalind: SEBASTIAN's asking you!


	3. 1 Arrangements

**Author's Note: After a LOOOOONG wait, I came up with the first chapter...enjoy**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I have made slight corrections to this chapter and the next.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Arrangements<strong>

"Lucyana, Analise, mother sent for you." Linden said casually, entering the library.

I got up off the rug where I had been reading a book, while Lucyana stopped her crocheting.

"Come on, let's see if our outfits arrived or not!" Lucyana grabbed my arm. "Brush your skirt off, sister. If mother sees the wrinkles, she'll know you rejected the chairs once more!"

We made our way down to our mother's chamber, where she sat in an armchair, examining the guest list all over again.

"Ahh, yes…Lucyana dear, and…Analise." She hesitated at my name, as always. "Come, your dresses have arrived…"

"Oh, how delightful." Lucyana was all formal again. She turned stiff, and I felt uncomfortable, being so sloppy.

Nothing ever escaped mother's notice, so it was unlikely to happen now. "Analise, at least try to make yourself a bit more honourable for a few days. As soon as you get a fiancé, you need to be uptight and well-mannered. So work hard now."

"Ye-Yes, of course, mother." I tried to curtsey, just to step on my skirt and nearly fall over on my back. Mother simply groaned. Lucyana sent me a comforting look, as if to say 'you'll get the hang of it sooner or later.' Well, it was later, because I certainly wasn't getting to it anytime now...

"Oh, mother, it's lovely!" Lucyana fished out a sky-blue ocean tinted dress from the box.

The neck was slung low, with a crinkled crepe fabric which covered the shoulder blades in a soft lilac shade. There were two sleek silk blue ribbons to hold the neck together at the back, like a halter-neck. The chest was corset-styled, with a fine lilac net over the ocean blue, forming somewhat of a corset opening. The edges of the nearly rectangular network were brocaded in gold and the laces to tighten the structure were also a brilliant golden hue. The shoulders were low slung and the silk was folded into ruffles before smoothening out into skin-hugging full sleeves. The sleeves came to the wrists just to bell out into lilac net frills to serve as extended cuffs. The skirt belled out from a narrow dark-blue lace trimmed waist and reached all the way to the ground, with a slight extension at the back. There were two overlying skirts on the main skirt, and they were all delicately folded along the vertical plane and trimmed in small wave cuts. The whole dress was in one colour, except for the dark blue regal designs which covered every inch of the dress.

I took the box lying next to it and opened it to find…

A black silk and velvet gown.

Lucyana frowned at it.

"Mother, why is it black? She's attending a ball, not a funeral."

"You better not try and instruct me, young lady." Mother sent a single sideways glance at Lucyana, and that was all that took to shut her up.

"Lucy..." I turned to her with a smile, "I think it's absolutely wonderful."

"Why don't you hold that dress out, Lisa? Is it as beautiful as mine, mother?" Lucyana asked.

"I did not take much of a glance at that dress. The colour proves to be tasteless to me." Mother retorted.

I held out the dress for them both to see. Mother instantly turned away, as I knew she would, while Lucyana's mouth fell open.

"Oh my..."

The dress was entirely black in fabric in the sense that there was no print on it. It was solid black, well at least the underlying layer was. It was totally sleeveless, and showed off the collarbones. Over the tube-top like bodice was a fitted shoulder-less coatee , which framed either side like a corset. There was intricate silver thread work all over the overlapping layer. Slim silver strings held the front together tightly, and led down to the waist. The waistline was simple, except for the fact that it wasn't exactly a _waistline_. Rather, it travelled downwards to my thighs, where it came to the front in a broad silver belt and formed a slight v-dip. From there, it formed elaborately folded frills along the vertical plane. It looked like a tube dress with a skirt at the bottom. The skirt was not as poofy as Lucyana's and for that, I was glad. However, the front part of the skirt made an upward v, but did not reveal much ankle. The 'v' gradually sloped downwards and to the back to form an extension ending in a v-cut. All extensions are meant to drag along the floor. It came with elbow-length gloves, which narrowed down to a v-shape at the back of my palms and a band of silk formed a ring around my middle finger. Near the elbow, it had fine black net, which made it go all the way upto the shoulders. I'm sure that the net will turn gray once my skin is under it, since it was so fine and thin.

"Wow. We both have amazing dresses now!" Lucyana exclaimed.

"Enough chatter." Mother said, in a serious tone. 'Start getting ready for the ball. Hurry up. Don't make it so that I have to send someone after you two. Be downstairs at the precise time. And wear your masks. The timing warning goes more to you than anyone else in this household, Analise, so don't make me repeat myself."

"Yes, Mother." I replied softly.

"By your leave, my lady." Lucyana said, before dragging me out with her.

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><p>"I totally envy you, Lisa..." Lucyana sat on her stool sideways to look at me as I twirled in my black dress. "Your skin colour contrasts beautifully with the black...you're so pretty!"<p>

I sighed as I took my seat on the stool in front of the dressing mirror. "Mother always calls you the 'pretty one' of the family."

"That's just because Mother doesn't like you." Lucyana groaned. "I just wish she'd forget whatever grudge she holds against you and treat you well..."

"Thanks for the thought, Lucy...but I have a feeling that it's never going to happen," I said, as my maid, Elena, brushed out the knots from my hair. Lucyana turned back to face her own mirror as Alina, her maid, clasped a sparkling blue hairclip onto the piled up hair above her head. We were in the room we sisters shared for dressing up, and currently, two out of the four mirrors reflected sparkly ballgowns.

Alina finished tying Lucyana's hair in a fancy bun. Lucyana turned to me.

"Do you think this knot looks too big for my face, Lisa?" she asked, moving her head in every angle to let me observe it.

"It's as always, Lucy..." I said, smiling. "Absolutely perfect."

Elena brushed my hair down so that the freshly black-dyed hair hung loosely around my shoulder. A few strands had been plaited at the back of my head and a silver stoned clip held it in place. Besides that, we both wore matching jewellery and suitable makeup. But there was a catch.

It depended on the idea of our maids about how we would look. Alina was a cheerful person, never failing to bring out happiness in her work. She had managed to make Lucyana look beautiful with light and bright makeup. On the other hand, Elena was always depressed, but yet, she was amazing at what she did. The makeup she put on me had varying shades of black and silver, and the effect was bold and striking; and as I looked at myself, I couldn't find words for it. It was just as I want it to be: edgy and different.

Apparently, Lucyana found a word for it.

"Oh, my...you look so...sinful..." she looked at my smoky eye makeup which brought out the light brown of my eyes even more.

"Thanks a lot, Lucy. Elena, you're brilliant as always!" I looked at the short, forlorn-looking maid. She gave that small, rare smile that comes on her face every time I regarded her work with respect.

Lucyana hurriedly stood up and grabbed my arm. "Let's go, Lisa! Remember Mother's words? Don't give her another reason to pick on you!"

And with that, Lucyana dragged me out into the corridor and down to the flight of stairs.

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><p>"You're on time..." Mother looked at me suspiciously.<p>

"...I guess..." I looked around for Linden. "Lucyana definitely has something or the other to do with you being on time." Mother handed Lucyana a mask. "Your mask arrived a few hours ago. By then, you were busy dressing, so I thought I would give it to you now."

"Thank you, Mother." Lucyana replied, curtsying.

"...and where is your mask? I believe it arrived earlier," Mother looked at me. Oh no! How could I have left it behind?

"Umm..." I looked down to the ground, lost for words.

Right then, someone placed my mask right onto my face. I grabbed it and turned around to see...

"Forgive me, Mother," the voice said. "I had taken the mask away from Analise and I had forgotten to return it to her."

That deep, masculine voice was one I'd recognize even in death.

"Linden..." Mother looked at her son disapprovingly. "Now why would you borrow a lady's mask?"

"It looked so magnificent! I just wanted to examine it!" Linden replied lightly.

I simply stared at him. _Thanks for the save, brother._

"Hey, Luce..." He called Lucyana by the nickname she hated (because it did not sound sweet and feminine). I could see her frown subtly at him. "Your mask looks like peacock's feathers."

"Why thank you, dear brother..." Lucyana said, uncertain. Linden never appreciated anything she did. Don't get him wrong; he teased her just for the fun of it.

"I hate peacocks." Of course that was coming.

I stifled my laughter behind my pursed lips as Linden smirked at a (discreetly) fuming Lucyana.

"Pay him no heed, my dear," Mother said in the soothing tone she only ever used for Lucyana.

Linden, as I mentioned before, was the most handsome man I had ever seen. His angular facial structure, sharp nose and the intelligent sparkle in his dark-lidded eyes was all too perfect. His ebony hair fell to his back while two long bangs framed his face.

For the occasion, he was dressed in a white tailcoat and white matching suit pants. Underneath, he wore a black, silken shirt and a silver cravat was fancily wrapped at his collar. His white dress shoes were polished to perfection and his longer strands were tied behind his back in a silver ribbon.

He looked like a handsome angel.

Father walked in right at that moment, dressed completely in brown and a small hint of black highlighted his outfit. He looked regal but boring, as always. We curtsied to Father anyways.

Mother gently took the arm Father offered her. Then, she looked at us, scanning us completely.

Linden was seven years older than me, and he always protected me from Mother whenever she got 'touchy' over insignificant (in Linden's view) mistakes I made from time to time.

Today, he did the same.

"Linden, please escort your sister down to the ballroom," she said, before she and Father took their stance at the top of the second bend of stairs.

Linden walked over to me smoothly and took my arm instantaneously into his own. He looked down at me and smiled.

Mother cleared her throat, interrupting us all.

She tapped one end of her frilly fan gracefully but with some sort of concealed force which shut it in one go.

"I meant Lucyana."

Linden chuckled. "You said, 'sister'. They're both my sisters. Since you left the choice up to me, I decide to escort the one I prize above the other."

Lucyana looked at the ground wordlessly.

"Linden," Mother glared at him in a deadly way. "You shall do as you are told."

Father cleared his throat loudly.

"Lydia, don't force Linden into anything. If he wishes to escort Analise, he has the right to do so," said Father. "He can come back up and escort Lucyana later on. It's no rule that both sisters have to enter simultaneously."

I was surprised at Father's comment, but I guessed it's just so that Mother stopped ordering his dear son around.

"...of course," Mother softly replied. However, I didn't miss out on the glare she sent my way even as she followed Father as he stepped all the way to the main landing of the ballroom stairs and turned the corner.

Linden turned to Lucyana.

"Lucy, it's not like I want to ruin things for you, okay?" he let go of me and walked to her. He put his hand on her shoulder gently. "I'll be back for you, all right?"

Lucyana seemed to brighten up slightly as she looked up at him.

"Yes," she said, smiling slightly. "It's perfectly all right. Besides, it's good that you support Analise in front of Mother. None of us girls can do that without being told off for being disrespectful."

Linden smiled.

"Exactly. I'm happy that you understand my point," Linden took my arm and pulled me towards the stairs. "I'm glad that balancing books on your head didn't turn your brains to mush..."

I giggled as Lucyana looked outraged.

"Linden!"

He simply laughed as we descended to the main landing.

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><p>AN: R&R!


	4. 2 The Engagement Ball

**Author's Note**: Two updates today! That too, for two stories! AAAHH! I'm on some kind of roll...xD

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I have made slight changes to the previous chapter, and this one.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Engagement Ball<strong>

"Oh my God..."

I was speechless as I stood clutching Linden's arm on the main landing. From under our feet, the red carpet ran down a flight of stairs, its golden rails and marble landings diverging as it touched the ground to meet the sparkling marble floor of the ballroom. The buffet tables arranged all along the walls of the ballroom cleared out a lot of room for the dancers. On either side of the hall were elevated platforms, where 40 piece orchestras played famous symphonies. The floor mirrored the elaborate crystal chandeliers hanging overhead, the candles making the crystals sparkle in various shades of yellow and orange, illuminating the ballroom. The floor reflecting it seemed to give off its own radiance.

There were pillars bordering the ballroom, and behind it were passageways, where guests stood engaged in animated conversation, sipping wine and having a good time. Gold and silver net draperies were wrapped around these pillars. In front of the alternating pillars were gold or silver curtains. The overhanging curtains had fine lace embroidery, and in the centre of each was the Montrose family crest.

Flowers like gladiolus, roses, lilies, azaleas and orchids were bunched into bouquets. They were everywhere: be it the ones stuffed into fancy, expensive vases sitting atop the buffet table, the front of each of the pillars, the joints of the overhangs or twisted around the banisters of the stairs and the upstairs balconies.

"They did some hard work renovating this place, didn't they?" Linden chuckled at my awestruck expression.

We walked down the stairs to the ballroom, where Liana instantly ran up to me.

"Analise! You're looking _beautiful_!" she exclaimed. "Here!"

She handed me a red rose.

I kneeled down to her level and hugged her. I took the rose she handed me.

"Your mask is beautiful too!" Liana exclaimed, lightly touching the carbuncles along the edge of my right eye and the feathers stemming out over it.

"Why thank you!" I said, laughing. "You don't look anything short of an angel yourself!"

Linden stooped to whisper into my ear.

"Hey, I better go bring Lucy down."

I nodded immediately. "Oh yes! Hurry, Linden!"

As I watched him disappear up the staircase, I felt Liana grab hold of my skirt and tug on it lightly.

"Come on, Analise! I'm hungry! Help me get some food!" Liana whined.

"Anything for you, princess," I walked along with her as she dragged my finger in her hand.

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><p>"Oh, and I'd love some roasted chicken!" Liana picked out what she wanted from the buffet table as I scooped it onto her plate.<p>

"Here you go," I handed her the plate and helped her to a chair in the corner where she may finish her food without spilling any.

"Thank you, Analise!" she grinned widely at me. "You're the best!"

I smiled at the compliment before I felt someone's eyes digging into my back.

I turned around and saw Lauria. She was standing all the way on the other end of the room, near the pillars. She wore a bright pink gown and a frown. A pink, carnival-feathered mask covered her face.

I smiled slightly and waved at her. She simply glared, turned her head, stuck her nose in the air and disappeared into the crowd. My hand was still stuck halfway into a wave when I realized she'd walked away.

"Umm...Analise?"

I looked down at Liana.

"Shouldn't you start dancing?"

"Oh!" I laughed confusedly and smacked my head lightly. "I completely forgot. Yes, you're right, Liana. I should get going."

"Good luck, Analise!"

I smiled and turned away, waving her goodbye.

I was going to need all the luck I could get.

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><p><strong>AN:** So, whatcha think? Let me know so that I can start working immediately and not leave you readers hanging there!


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